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10.G r e a t e x e c t a t i o n s : s h r e v e o r t - c a d d o 2 0 3 0 M a s t e r L a n

Unique Identity:Focus on Downtown

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“Downtownisalivewithmany

wholive,workandplaythere

joinedbyothers…foraday’s

orevening’senjoyment.”

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1 0 . 2 G r e a t e x e c t a t i o n s : s h r e v e o r t - c a d d o 2 0 3 0 M a s t e r L a n

Chapter Summary

Downtown Shreveport is the only real, urban downtown in a large region and provides

a key resource for distinguishing Shreveport from other parts of the ArkLaTex. This

chapter focuses on downtown and its waterfront, and includes an overview of existing

conditions, a summary of public input related to downtown, and a series of goals,

strategies and actions to create a better connected, mixed-use, live, work and play environment

that further cements downtown as the economic and cultural center for the City of Shreveport

and the surrounding region. The Master Plan framework for downtown has several components:

securing the urban and historic character of downtown; bringing new activity through educational

and civic institutions and strengthening the arts and culture hub already developing in the West

Edge; establishing a strong residential component by reusing historic buildings and creating new

neighborhoods in Cross Bayou and Ledbetter Heights; better connecting downtown’s different

districts; developing public green space; and revitalizing Texas Avenue as an events and “mainstreet” corridor.

Strategies and actions include:

• Enact new downtown zoning and a demolition delay ordinance for historic buildings.

• Revise regulations and incentives for redevelopment and adaptive reuse of historic buildings,

including a demolition delay ordinance, and creation of new residential space on underutilized

lots.

• Develop a detailed plan for Cross Bayou as a residential district with publicly accessible

natural green space along the water. Take steps to prepare the area for development— correct

zoning, design guidelines, park planning, brownfields cleanup—and then develop a request for

proposals to seek an experienced developer for a public-private development.

• Further develop the West Edge Arts District with adaptive reuse of historic buildings for cultural

and residential purposes.

• Establish more educational programs downtown to bring student life to downtown streets.

• Improve circulation and parking downtown by creating a parking-management district for

public and private spaces, providing for resident parking, establishing a circulator van or

trolley, and exploring the elimination of one-way streets.

• Expand the tax-increment finance district downtown for key public projects to attract private

investment.

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1 0G r e a t e x e c t a t i o n s : s h r e v e o r t - c a d d o 2 0 3 0 M a s t e r L a n

GOALS POLICIES FOR DECISION MAKERS

A mixed-use, live, work and play center that serves as the economic, historicand cultural downtown of the ArkLaTex region.

• Support initiatives to attract economic and cultural activities and organizations tolocate downtown.

• Promote initiatives to provide a diversity of downtown housing options including rental and ownership units and mixed-use.

• Encouraging policies and incentives to facilitate adaptive reuse of downtown’shistoric, vacant and/or blighted structures.

• Support infrastructure investments that further revitalization.

• Support investments and programs that improve the safety, appearance andcleanliness of downtown.

An active, publicly accessible waterfront with recreational amenities and residential/mixed-use development .

• Focus public efforts on creating a publicly accessible waterfront along Cross Bayou.

• Support zoning and land use policies that encourage quality development of vacant parcels along the waterfront.

Enhanced connections within downtownand improved downtown connections toother parts of the city and region.

• Support initiatives and investments that improve pedestrian, transit, parking andautomobile circulation and conditions throughout downtown.

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Findings• 10 percent of all jobs within Shreveport are located within the downtown/waterfront planning area.

• Only 1 percent of Shreveport’s population resides within the downtown/waterfront planning area.

• Downtown has few residential options for renters or owners, and existing densities are not sufficient to

attract and support neighborhood retail and services.

• Large vacant and underutilized parcels with development potential, many publicly owned, have

potential for residential and/or mixed-use development along the Cross Bayou waterfront and in the

Ledbetter Heights subdistrict.

• Three interlocking organizations are responsible for downtown promotion and development—Downtown

Development Authority (DDA), Downtown Shreveport Unlimited (DSU) and Downtown Shreveport

Development Corporation (DSDC).

• Community organizations, such as the Texas Avenue Community Association, are taking action to

encourage redevelopment.

• Downtown is the arts and cultural center of the ArkLaTex region.

• Downtown is home to three National Register Historic Districts and two dozen listed historic structures.

• Major strategic initiatives/projects completed over the last 20 years, all with public investment, include

the Convention Center and Hotel, Sci-Port, Robinson Film Center, Festival Plaza, and consolidation of

city and parish government offices in Government Plaza.

• Downtown is the center of northwest Louisiana’s court system, with parish, state and federal court

facilities.

• Riverboat casino facilities along the Red River bring thousands of visitors to the downtown area

annually; however, their design discourages visitors from venturing outside their facilities to experience

other downtown options.

• Casino facilities prevent public access along a portion of the downtown Red River waterfront.

• Downtown has few park and recreational facilities.

• There is citywide support for development and redevelopment within downtown.

Challenges• Attracting residential development of various types to create the critical mass needed to support

additional retail and services.

• Creating an improved, more attractive public realm necessary to entice private development in the

planning area subdistricts.

• Creating a publicly accessible Cross Bayou waterfront with balanced zoning and land use policies for

residential and mixed-use development.

• Preserving and reusing historic and older structures.

• Identifying appropriate development scenarios for the downtown area’s numerous vacant and

adjudicated properties.

• Revitalizing and rebranding the Red River District to become a vital, pedestrian oriented retail and

dining destination within downtown.

• Changing perceptions that downtown is unsafe (despite its low crime rate).

• Improving connections and circulation among downtown’s subdistricts.

• Attracting large companies to establish headquarters in downtown.

• Better marketing downtown’s numerous cultural amenities and organizations.

• Enforcing property standards.

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A. current condton

Downtown Planning area

The downtown and waterfront planning area comprisesroughly 750 acres bounded by the Red River to the east, Pete

Harris Drive to the west, Cross Bayou to the north and I-20

to the south. The area generally adheres to the boundaries

over which the Downtown Development Authority (DDA)

has oversight, with the exception of an area southeast of I-20

that can be studied in a later phase for future waterfront

redevelopment. Over time, the area north of Cross Bayou

up to Common Street should also be incorporated into

downtown.

Previous planning efforts identied several sub-districts within downtown. These include the Central Business

District, West Edge Cultural District and Riverfront District

(which together make up the Central Core); Cross Bayou;

the South Side; Ledbetter Heights; and the Texas Avenue

Corridor. An analysis of land uses and site visits conrmed

that these sub-districts accurately reect areas of different

built character and use within the downtown planning area.

Downtown History

What today is known as downtown Shreveport was

founded in 1836 when a consortium of real estate

speculators, including Captain Shreve, established Shreve

Town on 649 acres along the banks of the then newly

navigable Red River. The original eight-by-eight street grid

laid out south of Cross Bayou and West of the Red River

remains virtually intact and is today recognized as the

Central Business District.

Early economic activity centered on prosperous cotton

and timber industries, which used the Red River to ship

goods south to New Orleans and on to the rest of the world. At its peak in the post-Civil War 1870s and 1880s,

downtown Shreveport was the third-largest inland cotton

port in the nation, with the majority of operations and

warehouses lining Commerce Street in downtown. In the

late nineteenth century, railroads transformed the means for

transporting goods, and industry no longer relied solely on

water routes for shipments.

The discovery of extensive oil and natural gas reserves in

the early 20th century transformed downtown, initiating a

building spree marked by the construction of downtown’s

rst high rise, the Commercial National Bank buildingat Texas and Market streets, which still stands today. The

oil boom brought great wealth to downtown. Milam

and Texas streets teemed with retail and cultural activity,

and streetcars circulated residents around, in and out of

downtown. Numerous structures still standing were built

during the boom years of the 1920s and 1930s to cater

to a growing afuent population, including the former

Washington and Jefferson hotels, the County Courthouse,

the Selber Brothers Building, the Y.M.C.A, and the famous

Strand Theater.

By the end of the 1930s, oil production was moving

away from the Shreveport area to Texas, California,

and developing foreign centers like the Middle East.

Although downtown remained a vibrant city center in

the years immediately following World War II, numerous

downtown landmarks began to close in the 1950s and

1960s, including the once-bustling Union Station

passenger terminal and the First Baptist Church on Travis

Street. What followed was a slow but steady decline, as

development and investment moved to more suburban

areas. After the oil bust of the 1980s, ofce vacancies werehigh, surrounding neighborhoods like Ledbetter Heights

lost most of their population, and retail activity ed for

suburban locations south of the downtown.

Downtown toDay

After years of economic decline, the city has made

signicant progress over the last several decades in

reinvigorating parts of downtown. It remains the economic

and cultural center for its region, as well as the center of

government for the city and for Caddo Parish.

The Shreveport Convention Center brings thousands of

visitors, many of whom stay in the convention center hotel.

Gaming and entertainment establishments, Sam’s Town and

El Dorado, employ thousands and draw both locals and

out of state visitors to the banks of the Red River. Sci-Port,

the nationally regarded science center, other museums, and

Festival Plaza draw people from all walks of life to the more

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Map 10.1 Dww pg r

Source: NLCOG, Goody Clancy 2009

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family-centered southeastern entertainment district, and

newer attractions such as Robinson Film Center. Renovated

theaters like the Strand, Capri and Municipal Auditorium

provide more cultural programming to the West Edge

District. Ofce vacancy rates have decreased, and new

investments are underway, such as Millennium Studios,adjacent to downtown in Ledbetter Heights, to further

cement downtown Shreveport as a national center of lm

and television production.

Although public initiatives have brought activity to various

areas of downtown, many obstacles must be overcome to

knit the entire downtown planning area together. The sub-

districts are not well connected. And while Sci-Port and

the Convention Center have succeeded in bringing visitors

downtown, there are limited retail and restaurant options to

capture their spending.

The Red River District has not met expectations; residential

population has not increased, and street life is non-existent.

Neighborhood-serving retail, restaurants, and other services

are limited, and what does exist caters primarily to ofce

workers or casino visitors, often from internal spaces not

visible from the street.

Downtown Promotion anD

DeveloPment organizations

Downtown has three interlocking agencies charged with

promotion and development within the downtown

core—the Downtown Development Authority (DDA),

Downtown Shreveport Unlimited (DSU), and the

Downtown Shreveport Development Corporation

(DSDC).

The Downtown Development Authority

The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) seeks

to increase awareness of and promote development

within downtown Shreveport, with a mission “to actively

pursue, support, facilitate and welcome initiatives that

aid and encourage private development, and promote andcoordinate public development within the Downtown

Development District of Shreveport, LA.” Its Downtown

2010Plan, released in 2004 and updated in 2006, provided

a framework for public investment downtown, and

identied opportunities.

The DDA receives a millage levied on property within the

Downtown Development District and is responsible for

downtown street sweeping and decoration, enhanced security,

and management of downtown’s on-street parking operation

including parking enforcement, meter repair and collection.DDA also makes downtown parking improvement and policy

recommendations to the Mayor and City Council.

Downtown Shreveport Unlimited

Downtown Shreveport Unlimited (DSU) is a private,

nonprot membership-driven advocacy organization that

promotes festivals, projects and events to attract more

people to downtown. Events include Mudbug Madness,

Rockets Over the Red, and the recent “BREW” event. DSU

also monitors legislative affairs and advocates for downtown

economic development.

Downtown Shreveport Development

Corporation

The Downtown Shreveport Development corporation

(DSDC) is a 501(c )(4) organization that generates revenue

from parking garage fees to capitalize low-interest loans

for downtown projects, including façade improvements,

Public investments within the downtown planning area provide key anchors on which to build over the next 20 years.

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roof replacement, residential construction and landscaping.

The organization owns several downtown properties,

including the spaces housing the Robinson Film Center

and ArtSpace. Other work involves promoting initiatives tosave historic buildings.

Collaboration

A retreat held in late 2009 with the three organizations

(DDA, DSU, DSDC) identied priorities for downtown.

The ve highest priorities identied were:

• West Edge. The subdistrict, which holds the Robinson

Film Center, ArtSpace, Strand Theater and more, is off

to good start with potential opportunities to further

cement it as the cultural center of downtown, including

relocating the Shreveport Arts Council headquarters tothe former Central Fire Station to act as an anchor to the

district, and the Methodist Church performance center,

which is scheduled to complete construction in 2010.

• Cross Bayou. Considered one of the city’s most

important public assets, the area should be developed

into a mixed-use residential community with a publicly

accessible waterfront. Public support for such an

initiative is on the rise.

• Riverfront District. The district has not met

expectations and needs to be revamped. The DDA developed a strategic action plan for the district a year

ago, and the City is expected to take title to the property.

• Downtown Residential Development. Downtown’s

workforce needs places to live, and the DDA study

CentralCityLivinghas identied potential reuse

opportunities for new residential units.

• Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse. Preventing

demolition of downtown’s historic structures is a key priority. As of spring 2010, discussions with the City

Council, the Mayor’s ofce, and a council committee

about a demolition delay ordinance are underway.

DDA also collaborates with city and parish ofcials,

cultural and nonprot organizations, and groups such

as A Better Shreveport, the Texas Avenue Community

Association and others on various downtown initiatives

to promote the development and cultural renaissance of

downtown Shreveport.

PoPulation anD DemograPHics

Today, the downtown Shreveport planning area is primarily

a business and entertainment center, with just under 1

percent, or 1,225 people, of city residents living within

the downtown planning area. Over three-quarters of

these residents are African-American, with white residents

making up just over 20 percent. There are few Asians and

Hispanics. Median household income is low, less than half

of that for the city as a whole ($15,664 vs. $36,027).

Two-thirds of residents within the downtown planning

area reside along its periphery, primarily along the

western edge of Ledbetter Heights near Hearne and Texas

avenues. Approximately a third of area residents live in the

downtown core, the area bounded by

Spring, Lake, Caddo and Common

streets. Residents in this area tend

to have higher household incomes

(though still low compared to the city

as a whole), are slightly older, have

smaller household sizes (more singles),and tend to better reect the overall

racial makeup of the city, with about

half black/African-American, and the

other half white.

figure 10.1 Dww D h wrfr Dmgrphc SpSh

DOwNtOwN PLANNING AREA DOwNtOwN CORE

NuMbER PERCENt NuMbER PERCENt

Total persons 1,225 100% 420 100%

Households 471 100% 156 100%

RACE

White 257 21% 192 46%

Black or African-American 935 76% 209 50%

Other 32 3% 19 4%

Hispanic (of any race) 14 1% 7 2%

INCOME

Median household income $15,664 n/a $20,253 n/a

Median age 34.1 n/a 36.4 n/a

Source: ESRI 2009

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inDustry anD emPloyment

According to ESRI Business Analyst, nearly 14,000

citywide employees, or just over 10 percent, work within

the downtown and waterfront planning area. The majority of these workers are employed in government, gaming,

nancial, legal and natural gas industries.

Nearly a third of workers in downtown are in the public

administration sector (4,332 employees). The professional,

scientic and technical services sector, which includes

lawyers, has 1,991 employees, or nearly 15 percent of all

downtown workers. The gaming industry, which is included

in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector (total of

1,557 employees) and hotel and restaurant workers (589

employees) make up more than 15 percent (combined)of the employment base. The nance and insurance (875

employees) and mining (719 employees in the oil and gas

industries) sectors also have a signicant presence.

Once the city’s retail marketplace, downtown now shows

fewer than 2 percent of all downtown planning area

employees working in the retail sector, compared to over 18

percent citywide. Moreover, although a signicant area of

land is zoned for heavy industrial uses within the downtown/

waterfront planning area, fewer than 5 percent of area

workers are employed in the manufacturing, wholesale,transportation and warehousing sectors combined.

Downtown retail anD services

Retail and service offerings within the downtownplanning area are limited. The estimated 110

establishments cater primarily to weekday office workers

and visitors to the gaming establishments. Nearly half

of them (50) are categorized as eating or drinking

establishments, 24 of which are categorized as full-service

dining. (See Figure, 10.3). However, the majority of

these eating and dining establishments are located in the

Riverfront District, with a third of all restaurants located

within casinos and not accessible from the street. Instead,

they are internal facilities designed to keep patrons within

the casinos, thus eliminating what could potentially be amore active pedestrian area, particularly in the adjacent

Red River District.

The planning area has a signicant surplus in retail

sales. Based on estimates, downtown residents hold

less than $5 million in retail spending potential. The

area’s retail sales of just under $103 million, however,

indicate the majority of sales are to those not living in

the area—downtown’s sizeable ofce workforce and

visitors. Retail establishments, typically open only during

business hours, do not target local residents, who musttravel outside of downtown for basic needs. For example,

although there are numerous eating and drinking

establishments and many limited-service restaurants

(not sit-down) for workers’ lunch needs, no full-service

grocery or drug store exists within the downtown/

waterfront planning area.

figure 10.2 top ten inDuStry SectorS by employment inDowntown/waterfront planning area

SECtOR EMPLOyEES

PERCENt OFDOwNtOwNwORKERS

Public Administration 4,332 31.1%

Professional, Scientic and Technical Services

1,991 14.3%

Arts, Entertainment and Recreation(includes gaming)

1,557 11.2%

Finance and Insurance 875 6.3%Mining (Oil and Gas) 719 5.2%

Accommodation and Food Services 589 4.2%

Administrative and Support and Waste Management andRemediation Services

583 4.2%

Other Services 572 4.1%

Health Care and Social Assistance 404 2.9%

Information 397 2.8%

Source: ESRI Business Analyst 2009

There are many vacant storefronts throughout downtown.

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10. 10 G r e a t e x e c t a t i o n s : s h r e v e o r t - c a d d o 2 0 3 0 M a s t e r L a n

Downtown Housing

Currently, the downtown planning area is home to fewer

than 1,300 residents, mostly concentrated in two areas,

multifamily in the downtown core, approximately 420

residents, and single-family in the western section of

Ledbetter Heights, near the Texas Avenue Corridor, with

just under 900 residents.

Adaptive reuse of old downtown structures for residentialor mixed-use has been a priority of the DDA, and

successful projects in the downtown core such as HRI

Properties’ 109-unit Lee Hardware and Jeweler’s Building

project have demonstrated market interest for living in

a downtown environment. DDA has studied several

additional buildings for potential residential reuse as

part of its Central City Living study, including the Allen

Building, Johnson Building, Rubenstein and Landford

Buildings, and Selber Department Store building. However,

according to interviews and public comments, building

code requirements and permitting processes often makeresidential adaptive reuse nancially infeasible. States like

New Jersey and cities like Los Angeles have adopted reuse

building codes specically crafted for the rehabilitation of

historic or old structures to make conversion nancially

viable, while maintaining both safety and the historical

integrity of the building.

figure 10.3 Dww r cDS

INDuStRy GROuP DEMAND (REtAILPOtENtIAL)

SuPPLy (REtAIL SALES)

REtAIL GAP SuRPLuS/ LEAKAGE

NuMbER OFbuSINESSES

retail and food xendites $4,611,991 $102,990,878 -$98,378,887 -91.4 110

Motor Vehicle & Parts $890,083 $14,750,934 -$13,860,851 -88.6 8

Furniture & Home Furnishings $131,883 $5,773,723 -$5,641,840 -95.59Electronics & Appliance $98,677 $3,158,047 -$3,059,370 -93.9 6

Bldg Materials, Garden Equip. & Supply $129,851 $973,594 -$843,743 -76.5 6Food & Beverage $793,842 $13,725,778 -$12,931,936 -89.1 8

Health & Personal Care $189,493 $2,591,207 -$2,401,714 -86.4 3

Gasoline Stations $730,334 $0 $730,334 100.0 0Clothing & Clothing Accessories $144,586 $1,457,367 -$1,312,781 -81.9 6Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book & Music 455,704 $618,871 -$563,167 -83.5 5

General Merchandise $562,597 $137,987 $424,610 60.6 1

Misc Store Retailers $89,018 $1,295,369 -$1,206,351 -87.1 8

Nonstore Retailers $112,867 $683,151 -$570,284 -71.6 1

Food Service & Drinking $683,056 $57,824,850 -$57,141,794 -97.7 50Source: ESRI 2009

figure 10.4 Sg mufmy rSDprprS

LOCAtION tyPE

Lee Hardware Apartments

719 Edwards St. Rental (incomerestrictions)

United Jewelers Apartments

301 Crockett St. Rental

Fairmont Apartments 726 Cotton St. Rental (incomerestrictions)

710 Crockett Street 710 Crockett St. Rental

Milam Street Condos 229 Milam St. Ownership

Source: DDA, www.downtownshreveport.com/residential-opportunities.html

Residential adaptive reuse projects, although limited in number, have

attracted residents to downtown.

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onom inentve

Incentives currently available for residential and/or commercial development or redevelopment.

Preservation incentives

> Federal Historic 20% Tax Credit: Available for properties certified as a historic building in the Downtown

Shreveport Historic District or individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 20% credit is

applicable to renovations and includes labor, materials and architects/engineers fees.

> State Historic 25% Tax Credit: Available for properties in the Downtown Development District. The credit

is calculated at up to 25% of the eligible renovation cost. The tax is capped at $2.5 million per structure.

> Restoration Tax Abatement (RTA): Freezes property taxes at the base level before improvements,

renovations, or additions are made for a period of five years with a renewal opportunity for an additional

five years.

> Operation Facelift: This program matches façade-improvement investments dollar for dollar up to a

maximum of $5,000 and is also a DSDC program.

otHer Programs

> Riverfront and Cross Bayou Tax-Increment Financing District: Encompassing areas of downtown

east of Market Street to the Red River, the existing tax-increment financing (TIF) district allows the City to

use funds collected from new sales tax activity created within the TIF district for physical and public safety

improvements within the district’s boundaries. Downtown areas outside of these boundaries, including the

CBD, West Edge, Texas Avenue and Ledbetter Heights, are not eligible to receive improvement funds.

> New Market Tax Credits: The NMTC Program provides tax credit incentives to investors for equity

investments in certified Community Development Entities, which invest in low-income communities. The

credit equals 39% of the investment paid out over seven years.

> Low-Interest Loan Program: Funded and administered by the Downtown Shreveport Development

Corporation (DSDC), this financial incentive is designed to provide rehabilitation funds to property owners

and small businesses interested in renovating downtown’s older buildings. The 3.5% loans are capped at a

maximum of $100,000 with terms up to ten years.

> Waiver of Construction Permit Fees for Downtown Properties: Construction permit fees can be waived

for properties in the Downtown Development District for buildings built before 1960.

Source: Downtown Development Authority, www.downtownshreveport.com/centercity/eco.html

major strategic initiatives:

1990–2010

Numerous public initiatives have been undertaken over

the last 20 years that laid the foundation for continuedrevitalization downtown and in Shreveport’s waterfront areas.

Shreveport Convention Center and Hotel

The largest and most visible development in recent years is

the Shreveport Convention Center and Convention Center

Hotel at the intersection of Market and Caddo streets. The

350,000 square-foot convention center was completed in

2006, followed by the hotel in 2007.

Riverfront District Development

Sam’s Town and the Eldorado Resort and Casino, built

on city-owned land, have brought thousands of visitors to

downtown Shreveport, much-needed jobs for residents, and

revenue for city government activities.

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The Red River District’s restaurants, bars and shopping

establishments are located below the Travis Street bridge.

A revamp of the area to help reach its potential has been

discussed, with the DDA providing a StrategicActionPlantoRevitalizetheRedRiverDistrict. The action plan

recommends actions to be taken, including:

• Transferring the Red River District from the Eldorado

Resort Casino to the City of Shreveport.

• Developing a desirable tenant mix plan for the Red

River District and surrounding area.

• Changing regulations to improve commercial activity

downtown, including revising the current B-4 zoning

classication to better regulate sale of alcoholic beverages

in the area.• Increasing police resources to improve perceptions of

public safety and security.

• Establishing a program of events to draw customers

throughout the year.

• Developing a plan for capital improvements and

lighting.

• Identifying and securing parking nearby.

• Acquiring the gateway parcel along Market Street.

• Relocating DDA ofces to the Red River District as a

symbol of City’s commitment to the area.• Rebranding and marketing the area to counter negative

perceptions.

Sci-Port, founded in 1998, is a nationally recognized

educational environment for mathematics, science and

technology. It includes a 185-seat IMAX theater, numerous

galleries, a restaurant and a gift shop, and it serves as the

key southeastern anchor to the developing entertainment

district, with Festival Plaza, and Riverfront Park.

West Edge and Texas Avenue CorridorInitiatives within the West Edge district have made it

the cultural center of downtown. Since 1990, numerous

projects have been completed, including the renovations

of the Strand and Capri theaters, the opening of ArtSpace

and its café, and the opening of the Robinson Film Center

and restaurant, Abby Singer’s Bistro. Renovations have been

completed on the Municipal Auditorium just off Texas

Avenue, including an improved parking lot.

Central Business District

Consolidating many City and Parish government depart-

ments at Government Plaza on Travis Street has brought hun-

dreds of additional workers to the city center. Plans are also

under way to renovate the Petroleum Building at Edwards

and Texas streets to house Community Renewal International

and make the building a LEED-certied “green” structure.

CRI has begun fund-raising to pay for the renovation.

zoning

The downtown and waterfront planning area is divided

into several zoning districts (See Map 10.2). The vastmajority of land is zoned as either B-4 Central Business

District, I-3 Heavy Industrial or R-3 Urban Multifamily

Residence. The remainder comprises smaller business

districts (B-1, B-2 and B-3), and industrial districts (B-1).

Zoning standards as written are vague and/or confusing.

B-4 Central Business District. The district was created

to maintain the Central Business District as the “symbolic,

managerial, and cultural focal point” of the city and region,

and allows for a range of uses, including ofce, residential

(one-family to multifamily dwellings); neighborhood retailand services; and varied industrial uses (i.e., recycling centers,

wholesale and warehousing, manufacturing). This catch-all

category provides no condence to developers interested

in downtown development. There is no assurance that an

incompatible use will not be constructed next door to their

investment (e.g., an industrial use next to a residential use).

I-2 Heavy Industrial. The district allows for industrial uses

such as manufacturing (light to heavy), warehousing, and

well drilling; numerous retail uses; and minimal residential

use—one-family or mobile homes only, with Planning

Commission approval. Zoning does not allow multifamily

residential or mixed-use development on all land directly

abutting Cross Bayou.

R-3 Urban Multifamily Residence. The district occupies

the majority of Ledbetter Heights and western portions

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of the South Side subdistrict. All

residential types (one-family, two-

family, townhouse and multifamily

or apartment dwellings) are allowed,as well as community facilities

such as schools and churches, but

retail and service establishments are

prohibited. Multifamily projects

require a minimum lot area of

10,000 sf.

lanD use

As shown on Map 10.3, land use

varies within the downtown planning

area and, in most cases, correspondsto the zoning. However, this is a result

of the catch-all zoning category, B-4

Central Business District, described

above. A more targeted land use

policy would benet overall goals to

create a vibrant, live, work and play

mixed-use downtown.

Commercial/industrial uses.

Commercial ofce and retail uses

make up the majority of land withinthe Central Business District.

Numerous surface parking lots and

structures are located throughout

the core area. Although Texas and

Milam streets were once the center

of retail activity within the city, few

establishments line these corridors.

A few industrial uses are found along

Cross Bayou, including a large junkyard. Auto repair and

service facilities are found along Texas Avenue.

Government and public uses. Government and public

uses are concentrated within the Central Business District

and include Government Plaza, the Courthouse, police

station, and other government uses, as well as government-

owned properties used by entities such as the convention

center, hotel, and Sci-Port.

Residential Uses. Reecting the low number of residents

within the planning area, few residential uses were

identied, with some single-family structures found inthe Ledbetter Heights and South Side subareas, and larger

multifamily structures located along the periphery of the

CBD and West Edge districts. Downtown also includes

social services housing for homeless and recently homeless

people.

Map 10.2 Dww Zg

Source: NLCOG, MPC

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Parks and open space. Several parks

and publicly accessible open spaces

are located within the downtown/

waterfront planning area, but mostare relatively small and not well

connected to one another. (See

Chapter 4, for additional detail.)

• RiverView Park

• R.S. Barnwell Memorial Center

• Princess Park/SPAR Gym

• Municipal Plaza Park

• Festival Plaza

• Oakland Cemetery

Institutional. Institutional uses

within downtown include several

museums and churches, and an

educational facility run by Southern

University. A new law school is

planned for the United Mercantile

Building at Market and Texas Streets.

Vacant and Underutilized Land.

More than 205 acres of land within the

downtown and waterfront planningarea are vacant (have no structures),

and when underutilized lots (those

with minimal, or unoccupied

buildings) are included, the gure is

signicantly higher.

The largest vacant sites surround the

Central Business District, particularly

along Cross Bayou, around the intersection of Caddo and

Common streets, and in the South Side subdistrict. Many of

these sites, but not all, are publicly owned. Numerous smallresidential lots, many of which are adjudicated or publicly

owned, are located throughout the Ledbetter Heights neigh-

borhood. In addition, many underutilized surface parking

lots dot the downtown landscape.

figure 10.5 Vc, DjuDcD D pubcy wDprcS

by CAtEGORy tOtAL ACRES

Vacant parcels 886 205.40 Adjudicated parcels* 238 36.34

Publicly ownedparcels**

299 145.02

Source: NLCOG GIS

* Most, but not all, adjudicated parcels within the downtown planning area

are also vacant.

** Not all publicly owned parcels are vacant.

Map 10.3 Dww D uS

Source: NLCOG, Goody Clancy

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Shreveport has successfully put

environmentally contaminated

sites back into commerce

through its Brownelds Economic

Redevelopment Initiative.

Source: City of Shreveport, www.

shreveportla.gov/dept/cd/gfx/rebuild.jpg

Map 10.4 Vc prcS

Source: NLCOG

Map 10.5 pubcy wD & DjuDcD prcS

Source: NLCOG

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tHe waterfront

The development of large gaming destinations along the

Red River blocked public access to about half of downtown’s

waterfront, with RiverView Park taking up the other half. TheCross Bayou area, however, remains essentially undeveloped.

This untapped resource, lined largely by vacant and unde-

rutilized parcels, holds the promise of a publicly accessible

waterfront supported by residentially anchored mixed-use de-

velopment. Because of a history of industrial uses on the Cross

Bayou sites, the area will require some environmental cleanup

to allow for residential development. The City of Shreveport,

however, has had much success with

its Brownelds Economic Redevelop-

ment Initiative. A number of successful

browneld-remediation and -redevelop-ment projects have been completed on

downtown properties, including the

Convention Center property, the Red

River District, United Jewelers, and

Festival Plaza. Additional federal fund-

ing for brownelds projects is expected

to be available for future projects.

Historic anD cultural

amenities

Shreveport’s historic character andurban fabric reect the city’s role as

the economic and cultural hub of the

ArkLaTex and this unique character

is central to downtown’s identity

and sense of place. Preserving and

enhancing this character is critical

to ensuring Shreveport’s continued

ability to attract jobs, residents and

visitors.

National Register Historic

Districts and structures.

Downtown has three National

Register districts, but this designation

does not provide protection against

historically incompatible alterations

or demolition:

• Shreveport Commercial Historic District

• St. Paul’s Bottoms (Ledbetter Heights)

• Oakwood Cemetery

The downtown planning area contains more individual

National Register Historic Structures (23 total) than all of

those in other parts of the Shreveport/Caddo study area

(not including the National Register historic residential

neighborhoods). These structures link today’s downtown

to its past and provide many of its unique public spaces,

renovated residential structures, and religious institutions.

Map 10.6 Dww hSrc D cuur mS

Source: Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism

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While several of these historic buildings continue to

serve their original purposes as ofces and commercial

buildings, some have been converted to new uses (e.g., Lee

Hardware), and others are vacant and threatened by long-

term lack of maintenance—mostly due to the high cost of

repairs relative to downtown real estate market demand and

values.

Cultural amenities and organizations

Downtown Shreveport is the center of culture within the

ArkLaTex region and home to numerous facilities, from a

world-class science center, to historic theaters, to outdoor

event spaces, and a new lm center. (See Chapter 5 for

details on downtown’s arts and cultural organizations and

amenities.) Attractive to urban-inclined households, these

amenities should be better marketed to those seeking

residential options within downtown.

transPortation anD connectivity

Road Network

A network of interstates, highways and local streets provides

expedient automobile access into and out of the downtown

planning area. In public meetings, many participants even

noted the ability to reach downtown from any part of the

city in less than 20 minutes. I-20, along the planning area’s

southern boundary, provides direct access to and from

downtown to points east and west. Major arterials—US

Route 71 and two one-way, four-lane roadways (Spring

and Market streets)—provide access from north and

south, and are supplemented by the less-traveled Clyde E.

Fant Memorial Parkway. US Route 79 (Texas Street and

Avenue), a two-way, four-lane roadway, connects to western

sections of Shreveport and provides a direct connection to

Bossier City via the Texas Street Bridge.

I-49 provides direct access from the south, with on and off

ramps at Texas Avenue. The I-49 Inner City Connector is

in early stages of evaluation (See www.i49shreveport.com).

If built, downtown would be surrounded by highways on

the land side, with an interchange at Caddo Street. Should

this project proceed to implementation, the City and

downtown stakeholders must be involved in the planning

to ensure critical design enhancements, public open space,

pedestrian crossing provisions, and land use planning

efforts at a community scale. Funding for the planning of

these amenities must be included in the budget for design

and construction and not be eliminated through “value

engineering” budget cuts. This is essential to making sure

that this project would not isolate downtown. (See Chapter

8, for details.)

A street grid established in the 1800s remains largely in

place throughout the Central Business District. Trafc on

these streets is minimal, with little to no congestion, even

at rush hour. Organized as one-way pairs except for Texas

Street, downtown streets tend to promote higher speeds

through downtown.

Twenty-three structures within the downtown study area are listed on

the National Register of Historic Places, including the Wray-Dickinson

Building and the Commercial National Bank building.

Downtown offers

numerous cultural

amenities, including

ArtSpace on Texas

Street, which features

art exhibitions,

readings and music

performances.

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The difculty and cost of securing parking is one of the

barriers to more residential development.

At the same time, demolition of historic buildings for

surface parking threatens the unique physical character of

downtown.

On-street parking revenues support downtown

redevelopment initiatives. The Downtown Development Authority manages all on-street parking within the

downtown planning area, with all funds collected going to

SporTran offers bus service from

its downtown station to most areas

of Shreveport and Bossier City, but

circulation throughout downtown is

limited. City-owned trolleys that could

have served as downtown circulators

were sold. The purchase of new trolleys,

however, is under consideration should funding be identied.

Downtown is dotted with numerous surface parking lots that offer

opportunity for inll development.

Public transportation

SporTran provides public transportation to and from

downtown along 17 bus lines that link up at the main

downtown terminal on the 400 block of Milam. The

system requires riders to travel to the terminal, as no other

stops exist within the downtown core. Service for all routes

is infrequent, running no more than once every half hour.

To better connect downtown’s districts, three trolleys were purchased and refurbished to serve as a downtown

circulator, but operational funds were lacking. After years

of sitting idle, the trolleys were sold in 2010. As downtown

activity increases, a funding plan for equipment as well as

operations should be identied and service initiated.

Sidewalk and pedestrian environment

The pedestrian environment varies widely throughout

downtown. Sidewalk conditions in most of the Central

Business District, West Edge and Red River District are

excellent, having benetted from a multimillion-dollarstreetscape improvement program that featured new brick

sidewalks and street trees. Sidewalk conditions outside

of these districts vary widely, from slightly damaged,

deteriorated, and uneven, to completely absent. In some

areas, such as Ledbetter Heights, pedestrians must walk

along street edges in moving trafc. Outside of business

hours, few pedestrians are present, with downtown often

described as a “ghost town.”

Parking

Parking is often cited as a critical issue within thedowntown planning area. While there are many parking

options, none of them is free. Ofce workers use spaces

in numerous surface or structured lots. Spaces are either

provided by employers, or impose daily charges (typically

under $10). Residential complexes are not required to offer

parking, though most provide spaces on a per-unit basis.

Bicycle trafc should be better accommodated throughout downtown

to offer residents and workers a viable transportation alternative to the

automobile.

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the Downtown Parking Enterprise Fund. DDA parking staff

is responsible for all parking enforcement, meter collection

and repair, and ne collection. Because many residents are

accustomed to free parking at other retail and entertainmentcenters in the area, they sometimes complain about the need

to pay for parking in downtown.

Bike facilities

The only bike facility or lane in downtown is the Red

River Bike Trail, an 8-mile trail along the river connecting

RiverView Park with the Charles & Marie Hamel

Memorial Park near 70th Street. No streets incorporate

dedicated, striped bicycle lanes.

urban Design in Downtown

The urban design character of the downtown planning area

varies from district to district, with denitive economic

and use transitions. On the whole, much of the downtown

core has a well-dened street grid, many historic structures,

and good sidewalks. However, newer structures are not

always compatible with neighboring structures, many

historic buildings need extensive renovations, and surface

parking lots break up the street wall along most blocks.

More than half of the waterfront areas are either blocked by

large casino complexes, vacant, or underutilized near Cross

Bayou. In areas outside of the downtown core, decadesof disinvestment have resulted in signicant vacancy and

blight. Street and sidewalk conditions are poor, and some

streets have been closed. The pictures in the following

section highlight various design elements of downtown’s

distinct subdistricts.

Central Business District

The CBD is the Class A ofce center for the ArkLaTex

region, and is home to local government ofces and the

regional courts. Arranged along a traditional grid of mostly

one-way streets, the subdistrict holds ofce towers up to

30 stories high, with limited or no ground-oor retail

space that faces the street. Older and/or historic structures,

typically 4 to 6 stories with ground-oor retail spaces

(many are vacant), and large concrete parking structures

make up the remaining building stock. Numerous surface

parking lots with no landscaping buffers or greenery, and

hard-surfaced vacant parcels, are also common, particularly

around the edges of the CBD. Although the pedestrian

environment is generally in good physical condition, the

result of streetscape improvements (brick pavers, historic

lighting xtures, landscaping), few pedestrians are present,

even during peak commuting and lunch hours. There are

few stores or amenities to walk to. Street trees have been

planted, but they do not yet provide a good tree canopy,

with the notable exception of the mature oaks around the

courthouse. Public open space is minimal, with a few paved

plaza areas offering seating but little landscaping (e.g.,Government Plaza), and informal green spaces with shade

trees (e.g., open spaces around the courthouse).

Riverfront District

The Riverfront District provides numerous cultural and

entertainment amenities. However, they are generally

disconnected, often oriented to patrons arriving by car, and

provide no aesthetic continuity. Large, high-rise casinos and

their parking structures dominate the subdistrict, designed

to keep patrons within individual establishments and off

surrounding streets—all dining and retail establishments

are internal. Built directly along the river, they prohibit

public access to half of the riverfront, exacerbating an

already poor pedestrian environment. In the adjacent

“Red River District”—a pedestrian-only, New Orleans-

themed retail area—two- to three-story older structures

provide a continuous street wall on many streets, but

Ofce and government buildings in the Central Business District.

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1 0 . 2 0 G r e a t e x e c t a t i o n s : s h r e v e o r t - c a d d o 2 0 3 0 M a s t e r L a n

a strong pedestrian environment. Old and historic

structures, including several theaters, are typically 3

to 4 stories with ground-floor retail spaces, providing

a nearly continuous streetwall throughout the centralareas of the subdistrict, particularly along Texas and

Milam streets. Wide sidewalks line the streets, many

with newer brick pavers, providing a comfortable

pedestrian environment through much of the subdistrict,

with shade provided by street trees and awnings along

some storefronts. However, the limited number of

retail destinations and remaining vacant are insufficient

to support much pedestrian interest. Vacant lots and

surface parking dominate portions of the subdistrict

closest to Cross Bayou and key corners (McNeil/

Milam streets, Common/Texas Streets), breaking up thepedestrian environment. Institutional structures like the

Methodist church at the head of Texas Street, and the

Courthouse at McNeil, act as symbolic boundaries to

surrounding subdistricts—Ledbetter Heights and the

CBD. Revitalization of the West Edge gateway is under

way with SRAC’s project to move to the old fire station

and create public spaces.

Cross Bayou

Although the subdistrict holds great potential for

a downtown mixed-use neighborhood with public waterfront access, in its current form the area is

mostly vacant, with a working horse stable and grazing

field, a junkyard off a dirt roadway, and an old food-

many storefronts are vacant or hold bars and clubs not

open during the day. RiverView Park provides public

access to the waterfront just downriver of the casinos with

landscaped walkways, an amphitheater, and splash park.

Pedestrian connections within this district are fair to poor,

with varying sidewalk conditions, limited waynding

signage, and numerous barriers to easy access, including

vacant lots, large surface-parking areas, and casino parking

structures. Automobile and railroad bridges further isolate

various areas. Lighting is spotty, including the neon lights

of the Texas Avenue Bridge, many of which are out.

The West Edge

The West Edge provides downtown’s most cohesive

architectural character, and greatest opportunity for

Views of the Riverfront District

The West Edge has many historic buildings. Cross Bayou is an unrealized opportunity,

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distribution warehouse near Market Street. Access to the

waterfront is blocked by heavy brush and mature trees,

and recreational amenities are nonexistent, although

fishermen often use the banks closest to the Red Riveroutlet. Access to the area is limited, with much of the

area blocked from the CBD by the convention center,

whose rear wall creates a physical barrier. McNeil Street

provides the best roadway access from the CBD and

West Edge, which are up a substantial hill. Market Street

provides potential pedestrian access with a lesser slope.

Nearby, a small, little-used walking path has been built

along the bayou banks as part of the hotel complex’s

parking area. An active freight rail line runs between the

subdistrict and the remainder of downtown. A rail spur

leads to the historic truss bridge over the bayou.

Ledbetter Heights

Virtually vacant, this subdistrict holds a few dilapidated,

single-family structures, many of them shotgun-style.

Historic markers point to structures that are in disrepair,

boarded up, or no longer exist. The street grid has been

broken up and streets are in poor condition, some

permanently blocked to through traffic. Crumbling

pavement and large potholes are common. Most streets

do not include sidewalks, requiring the few pedestrians

to walk in the street or along uneven grassy patches.Crumbling staircases often lead from the road to vacant

properties where houses once stood. Few streetlights

are present. Oakwood Cemetery, a National Register

Historic District, is in a state of disrepair, with poor

groundskeeping and numerous toppled headstones.

However, revitalization is under way, including new

sidewalks along Milam Street closest to the West Edgeand Texas Avenue Corridor, and the initial phase of

Millenium Studios on a large parcel one block from

Common Street.

Texas Avenue Corridor

Design character varies greatly throughout the Texas

Avenue Corridor. Although portions of the subdistrict

are in disrepair, those closest to the West Edge provide a

continuous streetwall of older two-story structures and

a historic church with potential to serve as a revitalized

Main Street anchored by the small pocket park. TheMunicipal Auditorium, one block from the avenue, has

been restored, and serves as an anchor —despite its being

separated from Texas Avenue by a large surface parking

lot. Other areas of the corridor are lined with one-story

auto-repair shops and dilapidated structures with col-

lapsed ceilings. A few buildings have been rehabilitated

for private or public uses. Pedestrian conditions through-

out are poor, with crumbling pavement and no street trees

or building awnings to provide shade. Vacant lots and

surface parking are common along the corridor.

The Texas Avenue corridor has potential.The construction of Millennium Studios will help bring more activity to

Ledbetter Heights.

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B. onton Market Potental

This analysis of market potential focuses on the rst ve

years of the master plan time frame. It reects current de-mographic conditions within the Master Plan area and the

region. It does not reect the goals for growth presented

within this plan, nor on strategies and actions designed

to diversify the economy and bring more jobs to the area.

These limits on assumptions qualify this as a conserva-

tive analysis. Yet, even under this conservative approach,

a simple continuation of current conditions and trends

means that a market exists for a more vibrant downtown,

with hundreds of new housing units and increased retailamenities.

national trenDs sHaPing Downtowns

Two major demographic groups are shaping downtowns

across the nation—the 82 million Baby Boomers

and their 78 million children, often referred to as

“Millennials.” Many Baby Boomers have become empty

nesters and are beginning to reach retirement age. No

longer needing or wanting a single-family home in

the suburbs, many now seek a more urban quality of

life in walkable environments with shopping, culturalamenities, and services. At the same time, Millennials,

those 12 to 31 years of age, are moving (or soon will)

in larger numbers to urban environments, which are

often conducive to their place in life. Many are mobile,

tech-savvy, single or in childless couples, and they have

different values and interests than generations before. A

healthy, active downtown is attractive to both groups.

tHe economy anD Downtown

A downtown that also acts as a civic and cultural hub is

a critical component to a region’s economic developmentpotential, and downtown Shreveport is the urban center

for a large geographic area. With 65 percent of all estab-

lishments in Shreveport having fewer than 20 employees,

economic development initiatives must target both large

and small businesses in order for the downtown to be

successful.

At the same time, as the national economy continues

to move toward service- and knowledge-based

industries, cities increasingly compete for talent. In

this more competitive environment, it is far easier to

keep talent than to recruit it. Therefore, workforce-

development programs—many of which could be

located in downtown—are crucial to the future success

of the Shreveport economy, as is providing a full range

of residential environments, including an attractive,

amenity-rich, and mixed-use downtown.

Ky FAcRs FR

sUccssFUL wws

The 4 keys to downtown success are:

> Vision and community support

> Strong leadership and management

> Creativity

> Public/private development and financing

Successful downtowns…

> are great places to live, work and play.

> are generally mixed-use in character.

> tend to have multiple activity generators within walking distance of one another.

> are walkable and have streets that act as parksfor pedestrians.

> are places where entertainment is a drivingmarket segment.

> have strong downtown residential and adjacentneighborhoods.

> are safe and secure.

> typically have broad public/private investmentin the future of downtown.

> are beloved by the citizenry.

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Downtown Housing Potential

Downtown Shreveport offers the only downtown

environment for its entire media market of one million

people, the second largest within Louisiana. Althoughpopulation has remained relatively static over the last 40

years, the number of households has risen, a result in part of

an aging population, fewer couples with children, and more

single-person households. Growth in the Shreveport area

over the next ve years will be driven largely by one- and

two-person households (96 percent of Caddo Parish growth,

and 81 percent of metropolitan-area household growth.)

There are certain household types with tastes and

preferences conducive to urban lifestyles—often lived in

small single-family rowhouses or multifamily apartment/condo dwellings. These households, referred to by

demographers as “urban inclined,” typically include young,

single-person households; childless couples; single-parent

households; and older singles and couples—in other words,

Millennials and empty nesters. In the Shreveport metro

area, 22 percent of households fall into this category, or

approximately 34,000 households; over the next ve years

an estimated 9,700 of these households will move into a

different housing unit.

Using these data, if downtown Shreveport can capture just1 to 3 percent of these new and ready-to-move one- to

two-person, urban-inclined households, downtown could

support from 140 to 410 new units of housing within

ve years. Remember that these are conservative capture

rates with the potential to increase. Out of these units,

approximately one-third would be families seeking new, in-

town rental and ownership housing like a rowhouse, small

cottage, or bungalow. The remaining two-thirds would be

for rental, multifamily units. In total, approximately 80 to

90 percent of all demand would be for rental housing.

Although the market exists, development potential is

constrained by current apartment rental rates. Average Class

A apartment units rent for $1.06 per square foot per month,

a gure with which private developers cannot make an

adequate return on new investment. To attract new rental

housing to downtown, an initial subsidy of some sort would

be required. New housing is needed to spark a residential

renaissance; therefore, it is essential for the City to ensure

that the rst project is a quality development in order to

provide condence that new rental housing is viable and to

act as a catalyst for additional projects. The success of therst residential project will trigger immediate recognition of

pent-up demand for urban housing; downtown investment

in both new housing and in adaptive re-use of existing

buildings typically accelerates in response to demonstrated

market potential.

Three areas of focus for residential development are the

West Edge, Cross Bayou and Ledbetter Heights. The most

likely area for an initial catalyst project would be the West

Edge. With several large, vacant properties (or parking lots),

the area offers cultural amenities attractive to downtowndwellers, such as the Robinson Film Center, ArtSpace and

other theaters. Cross Bayou offers tremendous potential

figure 10.6 Dww rSD p, 2008-2013

POtENtIAL DOwNtOwN uNItS

HOuSE-HOLDS

CONSERvAtIvE(1% CAPtuRE

RAtE)

MODERAtE(3% CAPtuRE

RAtE)

New 1- and 2-personhouseholds

4,100 40 120

Moving urban-inclined

housholds

9,730 100 290

Total Unit s 140 410

Source: W-ZHA, 2010

figure 10.7 r D g D Drkg SSpr cp

u.S LOuISIANA S’PORtCbSA

S’PORtCIty

Total Retail Sales/Capita

$15,100 $15,360 $17,650 $18,430

Eating andDrinking Sales/Capita

$1,360 $1,360 $1,540 $1,680

Source: Sales and Marketing Management; Claritas

figure 10.8 Dww cpur f mrp Dcy g D Drkg SS

MEtROPOLItAN AREA CIty

Eating and Drinking 1% 2%

Drinking 12% 15%

Source: Sales and Marketing Management; Claritas

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as a larger new urban waterfront neighborhood. The rst

projects will require detailed RFP processes to help ensure

that the vision for the area is achieved. Ledbetter Heights

will likely be perceived as more attractive to residentsinterested in living close to downtown in smaller, cottage or

bungalow housing units on small lots.

retail market Potential

Retail sales within the Shreveport-Bossier metropolitan area

and the City of Shreveport are higher than comparative

national and state averages. One reason for these higher

levels is that Shreveport serves a large trade area outside

of its jurisdictional boundaries. In addition, the gaming

establishments attract patrons from far away, resulting in the

high eating and drinking sales per capita.

Successful downtowns typically capture 5 to 15 percent of

their City’s eating and drinking sales. As dened by Census

Tract 201, Shreveport’s downtown is capturing 2 percent of

the City’s eating and drinking sales, and 15 percent of the

City’s drinking sales. The offerings are even more limited

considering a large share of current sales occur inside the

riverfront casinos, and not in downtown storefronts that

would enliven the environment.

With a large concentration of arts, entertainment andrecreation offerings, downtown is well positioned to further

cement its place as the cultural center of the ArkLaTex

region. Further development of the arts, music, and movie

production sectors within downtown will greatly enhance

downtown’s attractiveness as a restaurant and entertainment

center, since its market will be not only the downtown

population, but the region. Therefore, great potential exists

for developing a strong cluster of niche restaurants and

entertainment outlets, co-located to create a destination

downtown that is a walkable and lively eating, drinking and

entertainment environment.

office market Potential

Downtown currently has approximately 2.2 million square

feet of multitenant ofce space, including approximately

90 percent of the Shreveport metro area’s Class A ofce

space—a large percentage for any city.

From 2010 to 2020, employment is projected to grow

among industries that typically utilize ofce spaces by

an additional 1,437 jobs.1 This would translate into

approximately 360,000 square feet of potential new ofcespace. If downtown maintains its share of the ofce market

(56 percent), approximately 202,000 square feet of new

ofce space would be possible by 2020.2

To attract developer interest, however, new ofce space

would need to command rents of at least $25 per square

foot. And current rental rates of $10–16 per square foot

for Class A and $7 to $12 per square foot for Class B space

would not support new development without some subsidy

or incentive. New rental ofce space would need to be

no more than ve stories, because rental rates could only support stick-frame construction, which costs less than

high-rise construction.

New ofce space should be strategically located to support

evolving urban districts, such as the West Edge and Texas

Avenue. Ofce uses would provide a valuable daytime

population to enliven the street and patronize potential new

restaurants.

c. cae stud: Greenvlle, sc

Greenville, South Carolina, offers an instructive example

of what works in bringing back back a downtown. The city

of 59,000 in a metropolitan region of 400,000 experienced

rapid post-World War II suburbanization, and by the 1970s

its downtown had lost its luster and position as a regional

retail center. Other than workers, few residents had any

reason to visit.

In the 1970s, a new, visionary mayor who was a strong

advocate of downtown set about returning the downtown

to prominence. The rst major action, completed in

1979, was a plan to redesign the downtown streetscape,

including reducing the width of Main Street from four

lanes to two, widening sidewalks, planting street trees and

shrubs, changing parallel parking to diagonal parking, and

1 Moody’s economy.com; W-ZHA 2 Ibid.

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• The Poinsett Hotel: The City formed a partnership

with a developer to rehabilitate the historic hotel, and to

create additional uses, including a new 220,000-square-

foot ofce building, residential penthouses, and

condominiums.

The new anchors were successful in drawing residents and

visitors to downtown, and initial retail followed, including

new restaurants and entertainment establishments.

But neighborhood retail was slow to grow. Continued

collaboration through the 1990s between economic

development organizations, real estate marketers,

and developers aimed to attract additional residential

development, which would draw more retail activity. An

aggressive marketing campaign focused on bringing an

anchor to a former department store building with the hopethat specialty retail would follow. In 2003, the Mast General

Store, a major clothing/outtter in

western North Carolina and South

Carolina, opened an 18,000-square-

foot store, and smaller apparel and toy

stores followed.

After success in the downtown

core, the next target area was the

neglected West End along the Reedy

River. Public-private partnershipsagain played a critical role in

revitalization. West End Market—a

mixed-use development with ofce,

retail, restaurants, artist space, and

a farmers market—was completed

rst. A private donor provided the

land, and the City took the lead

adding street furniture and outdoor dining. To further

catalyze and guide revitalization, the City developed a

25-year Downtown Master Plan in the 1980s, with a key

recommendation focusing on creating new anchors through

public-private partnerships, which ultimately resulted incompleted projects, including:

• A convention center, parking garage, and public plaza

with leased air rights for a new Hyatt Regency hotel as

a northern anchor. (Public investment comprised about

one-third of the project’s total cost.)

• The Peace Center for the Performing Arts, built in a

former industrial area along the Reedy River to serve as

a southern anchor. (Approximately 70 percent of the

project cost came from the private sector, including $10

million from a local donor to initiate the project. The

City established a tax increment nancing [TIF] districtto underwrite additional improvements.)

figure 10.9 ky grV prjcS

INvEStMENt LEvELS

PROjECt yEARCOMPLEtED

PubLIC PRIvAtE tOtAL

GreenvilleCommons

1982 $10 million $24 million $34 million

Peace Center for thePerforming Arts

1991 $13.9 million $28.5 million $42.4 million

West End Market 1995 $4.2 million property donation

$4.16million+

Poinsett Plaza/Hotel

1999/2000 $15.1 million $39 million $54.1 million

Falls Park andLiberty Bridge

2004 $13 million $3.4 million $16.4 million

RiverPlace 2005 $16 million $50 million + $66 million

West End BaseballStadium

2006 $8.5 million $20.7 million $29.2 million

Source: City of Greenville

Mixed-use developments have brought more residents and neighborhood-supporting retail to Greenville’s downtown.

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role as developer, creatively nancing the project through

a combination of TIF (tax increment nancing) funds, a

HUD Section 108 loan, general fund dollars, and grants.

When the City sold the development in 2005, it investedits prot in other projects, including a new park along the

Reedy River featuring a pedestrian river trail; and a public-

private partnership for Riverplace, a residential, hotel,

ofce, and retail mixed-use development.

Today downtown Greenville is nationally recognized as a

model for successful downtown revitalization, even winning

the Great American Main Street Award from the National

Trust for Historic Preservation in 2003. Revitalization

efforts have resulted in 1,700 residential units (half of them

built in the last eight years), a daytime population of over25,000 employees in more than 3 million square feet of

ofce space (a third of total ofce space in the Greenville/

Spartanburg area), and 850 hotel rooms. Downtown has

become a retail and dining destination for the region with

over 90 retail establishments (14 opening since 2009) and

over 95 restaurants (20 opening since 2009). Downtown

is also home to a full year of events, including a farmers

market, a weekly music series running from March to

October, as well as parades and community gatherings.

. communt iue and

conern

In a series of public meetings and a public opinion survey,

residents, employees and business owners within the

Shreveport-Caddo study area agreed that an invigorated

live, work and play downtown and its waterfront are crucial

to the future prosperity and quality of life of Shreveport.

Public opinion surveyKey ndings of the survey included:

• 79 percent felt development should be “promoted in

downtown and central areas that have vacant housing or

land.”

• 75 percent said “the government should promote

development with incentives and public investments,

where needed.”

• 82% of respondents said that diversied industries and

job growth were “very important” to the future of the

Shreveport area.

• 80% said that employment opportunities were a “very or extremely important” reason to stay in or come to

live in the Shreveport area, and, when asked what would

have the most impact on them staying, employment

opportunities ranked highest.

• 71% said it was “very important” to retain young people

and recent graduates.

Visioning forum for the 2030 master plan

Downtown improvement was a key reason why a quarter of

all participants came to the Visioning Forum. Downtown

was a prominent topic of conversation, and when talking

about values, the hope for a revitalized and thriving

downtown and waterfront where people live, work and play

was among the most frequently mentioned.

The availability of downtown and waterfront areas for

development and creating more working and living

opportunities were identied as key opportunities of this

master plan—as were proactive economic development and

workforce development—in the service of attracting new

business and jobs and of retaining talented young workers,many of whom could make downtown home.

Moreover, “quality of life” and sustainability were discussed

as important to downtown and Shreveport’s future. Topics

discussed included:

• Attracting the creative class by creating a “green,”

“healthy” place to live and work. Healthier communities

are more prosperous communities.

• Marketing Shreveport’s image to attract people from out

of state and to increase local pride.

• Adding bike lanes and increasing walking areas on roadsto create a happier, healthier community.

Although seen as a key opportunity, downtown

revitalization was also perceived as one of the greatest

challenges facing the city, after years of decline.

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“Speak Out!” neighborhood vision meetings

Although most input focused on residential areas outside

of downtown, topics included the importance of pursuing

development opportunities in priority locations, includingdowntown, and the need for growth in key industry sectors

(technology, natural gas, lm/digital media and biomedical)

to create more jobs and strengthen the regional economy.

Small-business development, a critical element to creating a

vibrant downtown live, work and play environment, was also

viewed as important to economic development.

Downtown and the waterfront workshop

Discussion topics at the workshop held in November

2009 focused on downtown’s and the waterfront’s assets,

opportunities, and challenges. These included:

Assets

1. Downtown’s historic buildings and architecture

2. The Cross Bayou and Red River riverfronts

3. Cultural attractions and “things to do”

Opportunities

1. Revitalization of downtown structures

2. A pedestrian bridge to connect Shreveport’s riverfront to

Bossier3. A larger university facility

4. Revival of Texas Avenue

5. Downtown housing

Challenges

1. Code enforcement and regulatory barriers to revitalization

(e.g., zoning)

2. Safety/crime

3. Lack of collaboration among various groups seeking

revitalization

Specically, topics mentioned included the potential

for residential mixed-use development on large, vacant,

publicly owned parcels along Cross Bayou; adaptive reuse

of vacant or underutilized historical structures in the CBD;

continued revitalization in the West Edge and Texas Avenue

districts; and the economic importance of downtown as the

economic, cultural and entertainment center of the region.

Working with the Consortium of Education, Research

and Technology of North Louisiana (CERT) to bring asignicant university facility downtown was identied as a

key to downtown’s future. In addition to code enforcement,

other challenges facing downtown’s economic prosperity

included lack of services and retail, building codes that

discourage adaptive reuse of historic structures as new ofce

and/or residential uses, and a lack of incentives to bring

new investment to the area.

Downtown and the waterfront in the vision

and principles

In the vision, downtown and the waterfront are consideredkey to the future success and vibrancy of the Shreveport-

Caddo study area and the wider region:

• “Downtown and nearby neighborhoods in the city

core are vibrantly alive with residents and businesses

in historic and new buildings. A revitalized waterfront

district links Cross Bayou and the city center to

Shreveport’s origins on the banks of the Red River.

Underutilized properties…have been restored to

community use with housing, shops, ofces, or parks

and other public spaces. Downtown…offer(s) attractive

and affordable choices for young singles and couples,families with children, empty-nesters, and retirees.”

• “Our landscape is enriched by a natural network of

greenways and bayous offering recreation and nature.”

• “….Shreveport’s youth and college graduates, as well as

newcomers, are proud of their beautiful city, cohesive

community, and culture of opportunity. All citizens

choose to be part of an innovative city on the move.”

Participants at one table in the master plan workshop on downtown

review their list of assets and opportunities

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The principles also relate to the theme of downtown

revitalization:

• Fairness and opportunity for everyone

> Make every neighborhood a “neighborhood of choice” with excellent infrastructure, services and

amenities.

• Strengthened assets and enhance possibilities

> Support, maintain and expand on the economic

and community assets that sustain our area today.

Create a community with easy access to all aspects

of community life—work, travel, cultural events,

festivals, shopping and faith based and nonprot

opportunities.

• Good stewardship of our natural and cultural heritage> Build greater understanding of our historical roots

through organized preservation and historic heritage

activities and incentives programs.

> Support arts and culture as a source of community

pride and a distinctive economic competitive

advantage.

• High standards of quality in development and design

> Make public investments a model of quality, excellent

design, and long-term vision.

> Promote and enforce quality design standards in

private development regulations.

• A business-friendly environment

> Establish policies that create the conditions and

climate to support the growth of local businesses and

attractive investment and entrepreneurs.

> Streamline regulations while preserving appropriate

safeguards to our resources and quality of life.

• A community of learners

> Make Shreveport-Caddo a center of lifelong

education and learning for all its citizens, young and

old, from the rst explorations all the way through

advanced training and degree programs.

• Communication, transparency and community participation

> Promote civic engagement of all community

members, with an emphasis on engaging young

people.

> Keep residents, businesses and others informed about

community conditions (quality of life indicators,

both good and bad), decisions and options.

> Expand community participation in decision-

making—every voice counts.

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I-20

I-20

NEW RESIDENTIAL, MIXED-USE NEIGHBORHOOD

• Create a vision and development plan and

write an RFP based on that plan

• Zone to allow residential uses

• Ensure public waterfront access

• Ensure appropriate mixed-use development ongateway sites through landbanking and

regulatory controls

• Enhance pedestrian connections to other

downtown districts

Cross BayouOFFICE EMPLOYMENT CENTER

• Encourage active ground floor uses

• Create new park in a central location

• Convert one-way street pairs into

two-way streets to improve safety

and accessibility• Identify parcels for new office

development (i.e., surface parking lots)

Central Business DistrictENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT

• Enhance pedestrian connections to

CDB and West Edge

• Extend riverfront multi-use path

along the Red River to points north

• Identify strategies for Red RiverDistrict improvements

Riverfront District

LIVE-WORK NEIGHBORHOOD

• Identify key parcels for residential

live-work projects

• Enhance pedestrian and bicycle

connections to downtown and

nearby neighborhoods

• Rezone to encourage mixed-usedevelopment

• Provide incentives for site and

facade improvements

• Install historic markers

Texas AvenueDOWNTOWN ADJACENT

RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD

• Pursue mixed-income residential

development (cottage or bungalows)

• Assemble parcels to provide for

larger developments

• Enhance connections andstreetscapes

• Ensure neighborhood-friendly exterior

at studio site

Ledbetter HeightsMIXED-USE CULTURAL CENTER

• Identify key parcels for initial

new contruction residential project

• Catalog structures for residential

adaptive reuse

• Provide incentives for site and

facade improvements• Target retail to serve cultural

facilities (i.e., restaurants and

performance spaces)

West EdgeIN ALL AREAS. . .

• Cater zoning to desired outcomes in

each subdistrict

• Support the adaptive reuse of historic

structures

• Improve connections between

subdistricts• Encourage active ground floor uses

• Assemble parcels for key development

(residential, mixed-use, or office)

Downtown Planning Area

Downtown trolley

circulator

Future development

area

Two-waystreets

CONVENTION CENTER

AND HOTEL

FUTURE MILLENNIUM

STUDIOS COMPLEX

MUNICIPAL

AUDITORIUM

POTENTIAL SRAC OFFICES

B’NAI ZION TEMPLE

– NON PROFITS CENTER

NEW TEXAS AVENUE

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

FESTIVAL PLAZAARTSPACE

GOVERNMENT

PLAZA

MCNEIL

PUMPING STATION

METHODIST

CHURCH THEATER

POTENTIAL

AMPITHEATER

ROBINSON

FILM CENTER

COURTHOUSE

STRAND THEATER

SCI-PORT

RIVERVIEW PARK/

BARNWELL CENTER

RED RIVER

DISTRICT

CASINO DESTINATIONS

Downtown recommendations

Downtown planning area

Parks and recreation

Existing amenities/anchors

Potential amenities/anchors

Pedestrian/bicycle connections

Improved neighborhoodconnections

Priority residential and/or mixed-use development

Public waterfront access

’

Source: NLCOG, Goody Clancy

. onton Reommendaton

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Central Business DistrictThe Central Business district will continue to serve as the regional center for Class A office

space and the center of local government and the regional courts system. Natural gas service

firms, financial and other firms will occupy renovated and new office structures, and support an

increased diversity of retail and restaurant activities that face the street to help create a bustling

pedestrian environment.

Key actions required to accomplish this goal include:

• Identify parcels for new office development in the CBD (i.e., surface parking lots).

• Require active ground-floor uses to bring new life to downtown streets, including cafes and restaurants

with outdoor seating attractive to downtown workers, visitors and residents.• Develop a unique park on the current bus station parcel once the station is relocated.

• Convert one-way street pairs into two-way streets to improve safety and accessibility.

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Riverfront District A reactivated and revitalized Riverfront District will bring more visitors to downtown Shreveport and the Red

River Waterfront. New residents will live in mixed-use buildings that include restaurants and retail amenities

that support both their daily needs and those of visitors attracted to the area’s numerous cultural

events, museums and entertainment/gaming establishments.

Key actions required to accomplish this vision include:

• Identify sites for potential mixed-use residential development and market the area to prospective

residents, such as empty nesters and 55+ communities seeking an environment with existing amenities

such as restaurants, Riverview Park and Festival Plaza programming, casinos and a rebranded Red River

District.

• Revitalize and rebrand the Red River District by implementing DDA-developed strategies.

• Improve access to the area through enhanced pedestrian connections to the Central Business District,

West Edge, and future Cross Bayou neighborhood

• Extend the riverfront multi-use path along the Red River to points north utilizing Clyde Fant Memorial

Parkway right-of-way where casinos block waterfront access.

• Repair and maintain downtown riverfront arts venues and resolve lighting issues on the bridge.

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Cross Bayou District A vibrant, mixed-use residential neighborhood will grow alongside the banks of Cross Bayou to bring

hundreds and potentially thousands of new residents to downtown and the accompanying restaurants and

retail to serve them. A publicly accessible multi-use path and park system lining the waterfront will act both as

an anchor to attract visitors to the waterfront, and as an active and passive recreational area for

downtown residents.


• Create a Cross Bayou Vision Plan and Development Framework for the new waterfront-adjacent

neighborhood, write an RFP based on that plan, and identify a development partner.

• Rezone parcels abutting the Cross Bayou waterfront to allow for residential and mixed-use

development that preserves a public right-of-way directly along the waterfront.

• Address brownfield issues by preparing a Phase I Environmental Assessment and securing funding for

remediation.

• Secure key gateway sites to ensure compatible development character through landbanking and other

regulatory controls.

• Prepare a Cross Bayou public access waterfront plan with SPAR to anchor the waterfront, and to serve

as a catalyst for future development.• Enhance pedestrian connections to other downtown districts.

2030

2010

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West Edge DistrictSpurred by new successful, mixed-use residential development, the West Edge transforms into a vibrant,

seven-day-a-week, 18-hour downtown environment. Residents occupying apartments and condos in new and

adaptively reused structures, along with thousands of annual visitors, populate sidewalk cafes, art galleries,restaurants, and performance spaces throughout the district. Established cultural institutions along with a new

film festival highlighting Shreveport’s and downtown’s growing film industry, draw national attention to the

district, further cementing the area’s position as the cultural center of the ArkLaTex region.

Key actions required to achieve this future include:

• Adopt a demolition-delay ordinance for historic properties downtown as a first step to saving many

threatened structures, then adopt an adaptive reuse ordinance to remove barriers and lower rehabilitation

costs for residential and/or office conversions of old and historic buildings.

• Rewrite zoning to encourage mixed-use residential and flex office space structures, and eliminate

industrial uses to provide greater confidence and returns on downtown investments.

• Identify key publicly-owned properties, privately owned surface parking lots, and/or properties under single-

ownership that would be suitable for residential development.

• Create a revolving fund for matching grants or low-interest loans to help renovations that create low-

cost live/work raw spaces.

• Develop a storefront inventory within the West Edge of spaces suitable for full-service restaurants and

market spaces to market to experienced restaurateurs.

• Develop design guidelines that ensure new construction complements the West Edge’s historic building

fabric, and encourage active ground floor uses.

2010

2030

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Ledbetter HeightsLedbetter Heights, the mostly vacant and underutilized area west of the downtown core, will become a

downtown-adjacent mixed-income residential neighborhood. A strategic plan for the subdistrict should include

opportunities for different housing types (row houses, duplexes, and bungalow/cottage-style units) that appeal

to young singles, couples, families and retirees seeking proximity to a vibrant downtown. It should also identify

key connective corridors to a revitalized Texas Avenue mixed-use commercial corridor, and to the culturally

vibrant, amenity-rich West Edge District.


• Identify and package adjoining adjudicated parcels to create larger parcels attractive for developers.

• Work with for-profit and nonprofits housing developers to develop residences.

• Work with downtown churches and other nonprofits that own sites desirable for residential development.

• Develop expertise in layered financing opportunities to help support development.

• Work with Millennium Studios as operations expand to ensure that its design is attractive, open to the

community, and perceived as a quality neighborhood anchor.

• Ensure that Community Development’s Ledbetter Heights plan, which extends into areas of the West Edge

and the Texas Avenue Corridor, is integrated into the overall downtown strategy.

Cottageand rowhousedevelopment

s o u r c e : w w w . c o t t a g e c o m

p a n y . c o m

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Texas Avenue DistrictTexas Avenue is the vibrant, mixed-use “Main Street” and events corridor for downtown and the city, serving

residents of nearby Ledbetter Heights, West Edge and South Side, but also welcoming artists and musicians

in search of raw spaces, visitors seeking arts programming, and recreational opportunities, such as “bike-only

Sundays.”


• Restripe Texas Avenue to provide bike lanes, and improve sidewalk conditions to encourage

pedestrian traffic.

• Implement a pilot Main Streets program to revitalize Texas Avenue.

• Develop design guidelines to ensure new development complements historic building fabric.

• Incorporate Texas Avenue structures and cultural amenities into guided audio tours.

• Coordinate planning and marketing efforts to make the avenue an event corridor with street fairs,

farmers markets, and a pilot “car-free Sunday” bikeway extending from downtown to Levy Street.

• Continue to market Texas Avenue as a distinct cultural destination, including targeted marketing of

vacant storefronts for performance spaces, art galleries, etc.• Encourage adaptive reuse of structures to provide live/work space for artists.

2030

2010

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F. stratege and Aton to

Aheve the Goal

A mixed-use, live, work and play center

that serves as the economic, historic and

cultural downtown of the region.

Goal 1

Policies:

• Support revitalization efforts and incentives to

attract economic and cultural activities and

organizations to locate downtown.

• Promote policies and initiatives to provide a

diversity of downtown housing options, including

rental and ownership units and mixed-use

developments.

• Encourage policies and incentives to facilitate

adaptive reuse of downtown’s historic, vacant

and/or blighted structures.

• Support infrastructure investments and programs

that improve the safety, appearance and

cleanliness of downtown.

STRATEGIES

A. Convene major downtown, city and parishstakeholders to guide downtown development

and revitalization.

Meeting downtown’s true potential will require

extensive coordination and dedication. Therefore it is

essential that City and Parish officials, nonprofits, and

other downtown organizations work with one another

to ensure that initiatives and projects not only move

forward, but are completed.

Actions

1. Build on ongoing DDA efforts to create a

downtown/waterfront revitalization working

group.

Key stakeholders in a working group focusing

on advancing an integrated plan for downtown

revitalization would include representatives of the

DDA; MPC; city, parish and nonprofit economic

development organizations; historical, cultural

and arts organizations; neighborhood groups

like the Texas Avenue Community Association;downtown property owners, managers, and

associations; commercial brokers, major lenders

and developers; major downtown employers

and businesses; and college and university

representatives.

Beyond this framework for downtown

revitalization, the City should prepare a more

detailed plan for downtown, similar to that

developed in Greenville, SC, to maximize

revitalization potential. The plan should include

targeted actions, grounded in extensive market

analysis, as well as detailed implementation and

financing strategies. A long-term commitment

from the City and partners from the for-profit

and nonprofit sectors would also be required.

The DDA should lead this effort, turning their

downtown vision plan into specific plans for each

of the downtown districts.

2. Led by DDA, conduct a parcel-by-parcel

analysis to identify priority development andredevelopment opportunities throughout the

downtown planning area.

A database of key development and

redevelopment sites would allow the City to target

and market to developers specific sites that would

serve as catalysts for further development at

strategic locations within the various subdistricts.

This marketing effort would also provide greater

confidence that the City is an active participant

and supporter of downtown’s future.

B. Create a regulatory environment and

information resources to encourage desired

development types and uses throughout the

downtown planning area.

Current zoning within the downtown planning area

is outdated, vague, and needs to be rewritten. New

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for initial application of demolition delay. (See

Chapter 5.)

4. Identify all historic structures in downtownsuitable for reuse.

The inventory of historic properties recommended

in Chapter 5 would be a good resource for

identifying structures in downtown.

5. Consider creating a local historic district in

downtown after demolition-delay, new zoning,

building code changes, and incentives are in

place.

(See Chapter 5.)

6. Target businesses to locate downtown,

particularly in growing sectors such as natural

gas and film/media.

Downtown is the office and culture capital of the

region and has room for additional office space.

Targeting select industries to locate downtown

achieves two objectives—it diversifies downtown’s

economic base, and it brings in more workers to

support retail, services and restaurants.

7. Create and implement a new signage and

wayfinding plan that brands downtownsubdistricts as well as the entire downtown.

Downtown is not clearly identified for motorists

arriving by interstate or other major roads. In

addition, current signage within downtown

is not designed for maximum legibility and

impact. A signage and wayfinding system that

clearly indicates downtown attractions and

downtown amenities (such as parking) should

also be designed to incorporate branding of the

subdistricts within an overall downtown signage

design identity. Despite the fact that the downtown

core is compact, attractions are dispersed, so

public maps that show visitors where they are in

relation to other attractions are also needed.

8. Work with Millennium Studios to ensure that the

building and its operations function as a quality

neighborhood anchor.

zoning districts would promote desired development

types, such as business/office/institutional in the CBD;

residential and mixed-use neighborhoods along Cross

Bayou; mixed-use cultural districts for the West Edge,Texas Avenue and the Riverfront; and a redeveloped

residential neighborhood within Ledbetter Heights.

Actions

1. Establish new zoning districts—with clear,

understandable design and development

standards—that encourage desired

development specific to the planning area’s

various sub-districts and that create an inviting

environment for workers, residents and visitors.

New zoning must be enacted to promote the

kind of development desired in downtown’s

various segments. This will reassure developers

that undesirable or incompatible uses, with the

potential to devalue their investment, will not

be permitted on adjacent properties. Design

guidelines will ensure that new development is

compatible with historic fabric and promotes

active ground-floor uses.

2. Incorporate building code standards that

promote adaptive reuse of historic buildings,

while protecting health and safety.

A number of models are available, including the

New Jersey historic building code, the Los Angeles

downtown code, and the International Existing

Buildings Code. If state action is needed, work

with other Louisiana cities to pass legislation that

gives cities the option of using these codes.

3. Establish a demolition-delay ordinance to help

preserve downtown’s historic building fabric.

A demolition-delay ordinance would require

a waiting period when an owner of a historic

property applies for a demolition permit. During

that period, an effort is made to find a use for

the property that will not require demolition

of the historic elements. The state-designated

Cultural District, which includes the CBD and the

Texas Avenue corridor, would be a suitable area

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Movie studios are enclosed buildings with the

architectural character—or lack thereof—of

warehouses. Enhancements that can help

make the building serve as an anchor to a new neighborhood are essential. Simple actions like

covering the walls with trellises and planted vines

and agreements on managing truck operations

can make a significant difference.

C. Attract new anchors to spur development

within downtown’s various subdistricts.

Downtown revitalization would greatly benefit from

additional anchor destinations that draw new residents,

businesses and visitors to downtown. Recent publicly-

funded investments—including the Convention Center

and Hotel, the Robinson Film Center, and Festival

Plaza—have successfully attracted people and business

to the downtown. While successful, these destinations

would benefit from additional facilities that would bring

increased vitality to downtown and the waterfront.

Actions

1. Work with CERT and higher education

institutions to build on Southern University’s

existing downtown location to bring more

programs and students downtown.

Colleges and universities in downtown locations

have a proven record of bringing in new vitality,

economic activity and culture.

Perhaps the best-known example of the impact of

higher education on a downtown is the Savannah

College of Art and Design, founded in the 1970s,

which has completely transformed central

Savannah through rehabilitation and reuse of

historic buildings, as well as construction of new

buildings, in some 60 locations throughout the

city’s downtown.

Louisiana College has chosen downtown

Shreveport for its new law school, which will

be located in the United Mercantile Building

(donated to the school) at the corner of Market

and Texas streets. Additional student activity

could be provided in a multi-institutional location.

The Learning Center of Rapides Parish in Alexandria could serve as a model.

2. Identify new anchors, or seek improvements of

existing anchors, within downtown subdistricts

to increase downtown activities and serve as

catalysts for additional development.

Anchors could include a revitalized and

rebranded Red River District; new performance

spaces in the West Edge and along Texas Avenue,

a waterfront park along Cross Bayou; and

renovations and enhanced programming at theBarnwell Center and Riverview Hall.

D. Break down barriers to residential and mixed-

use development.

The city, through the DDA and through actions such as

creation of a downtown residential plan, can hasten

new and adaptive-reuse development downtown. It is

extremely important that initial projects be pursued with

great care and high standards. The first projects need

to be successful; otherwise they may discourage further

investment.

Actions

1. Develop a residential plan for downtown.

A plan should target different residential types

(multifamily, mixed-use, rowhouse, single-family

cottages) for different subdistricts and identify

appropriate regulations (i.e., zoning changes),

design guidelines, and financing strategies

needed to achieve desired outcomes. Differentsubdistricts could also be targeted to different

demographic groups interested in downtown

living (i.e., singles, families, 55+ empty nesters).

Residential options could include raw space

renovated to meet code but otherwise left for

owners or tenants to fit out for their own needs, as

well as more conventional residential approaches.

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2. Working with the DDA, the City should continue

to assemble available parcels within the

downtown planning area that hold the potential

for residential development.The city has already assembled several

properties along the Cross Bayou and within

Ledbetter Heights that hold potential for

residential development. Continued assembly

of contiguous parcels within these subdistricts

and others should be encouraged, including the

numerous adjudicated lots within the downtown

planning area, many of which abut publicly

owned land. After assembling contiguous

parcels, and putting the right regulations in

place (zoning, design guidelines, etc), the City should issue Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to

interested developers, potentially with discounted

land price as an incentive to promote residential

development. To encourage more significant

redevelopment, RFPs should target developers

with experience in downtown settings. Assembly

of infill sites, such as parking lots and vacant

structures, in the downtown core and particularly

in the West Edge, can promote the development of

catalyst residential projects.

E. Explore housing-development opportunities on

City-owned land.

Incentives such as tax abatements, permit streamlining,

and other inducements offered to developers can spur

creation of new housing downtown and make projects

more financially viable.

Actions

1. Identify key publicly owned surface parking lots

for residential development, initially targeting

areas within the West Edge.

Numerous lots within the downtown planning

area offer strategic residential infill opportunities

that could act as catalyst residential projects. To

demonstrate market demand, an initial mixed-

use development should include quality design

standards that complement surrounding historic

structures, and be marketed to urban-inclined

households seeking downtown apartment or loft-

style living.

2. Work with churches and nonprofits that own

sites desirable for residential development.

Parking lots for churches within downtown,

particularly in the West Edge, could be suitable

for residential use. Churches could benefit from

developing this land, potentially providing

a church-sponsored mixed-income housing

development, while developing parking solutions

with less visual impact from the street.

3. Pursue mixed-income residential development.

As the urban core of the city and region,

downtown needs to reflect the socioeconomic

makeup of its people. By pursuing mixed-

income development, downtown can become a

welcoming environment for all Shreveporters.

4. Identify appropriate strategies for streamlining

permitting for residential development or

redevelopment within the downtown/waterfront

planning area.

The DDA could designate a staff person to assist

potential downtown investors with permitting.

After rezoning, permitting should become less

time-consuming and burdensome.

5. Extend the Restoration Abatement Program for

a longer period.

The current program of five-year tax abatements

could be extended to ten years for all or for

particularly desirable renovation projects.

6. Develop expertise in layered financing

opportunities to assist development of

residential properties downtown.

Early projects may require financing support that

is more complex than usual.

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F. Enhance downtown’s retail environment.

Although downtown was once the bustling retail

hub for Shreveport and the ArkLaTex region, today’sdowntown offers limited retail or service amenities

and an overabundance of vacant storefronts. However,

there is opportunity for new retail within the downtown

planning area. As the cultural center and only

downtown environment for the region, opportunities

exist for niche retail offerings, such as full-service

restaurants, cafes, performance venues and specialty

retail, and they should be explored. Additionally, as

new development over the next 20 years brings more

residents downtown, the need for neighborhood-

serving retail will also increase.

Action

1. Encourage active ground-floor uses in all new

or renovated structures within the downtown

core, and require them on major streets such as

Texas, Milam, and Travis.

Active uses are those that can be entered directly

from the sidewalk and provide transparency,

so that pedestrians can see into the building.

These establishments increase pedestrian traffic,bringing downtown streets increased vitality and

safety, as more eyes are on the street.

2. Complete an inventory of active and vacant

storefronts, building on the retail inventory

conducted by Community Development within

downtown, to develop a database to assist in

marketing sites to prospective retailers.

Downtown has numerous cultural draws,

including the Strand Theater, ArtSpace, the

Barnwell Center, SciPort, Festival Plaza, and

the Robinson Film Center, and it now attracts

thousands of visitors to events, but there are

few downtown restaurants in which they can

dine (outside of the casinos). New restaurants

marketed initially to visitors, in ground-floor,

sidewalk-accessible spaces, would bring

increased activity to downtown, provide additional

choices for existing and future residents, and

enliven pedestrian traffic for a more active

environment. Neighborhood-serving retail would

follow as more residential development occurs

throughout the planning area.

3. Expand eligibility and market the DSDC Low-

Interest Loan Program for interior and exterior

improvements, to draw restaurants, cafes, and

performance spaces to downtown.

The current program is limited to renovations of

older buildings, but loans could also be extended

to desirable newer buildings. With so many

vacant storefronts throughout the downtown

planning area, providing incentives for interior

and exterior improvements would help to attractnew businesses interested in moving downtown,

but unable to obtain financing to cover some

of the costs associated with initial interior and

exterior build out. As loans are paid back by

businesses, these funds would then be available

for additional loans to businesses interested in

locating downtown.

4. Coordinate work of the DDA, City economic

development staff, and real estate community

to target and market retail businesses to locatedowntown with tailored services.

Providing the right tenant mix to serve workers,

visitors and residents is essential to creating

a vibrant downtown environment. Targeting

initial service-based businesses, niche retail

and restaurants/cafes to locate downtown, as

was done in Greenville, SC, will lead to a more

complete retail environment over time, particularly

as more residents choose to locate downtown.

5. Establish a Small Improvements Fund and

program to provide design assistance and

funds for signage, store display and similar

improvements.

Providing design assistance for signage, store

window displays and other activities can help

downtown businesses be more successful in

attracting patrons.

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6. Establish a pilot Main Street program on Texas

Avenue.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation

created the Main Street Program 28 years ago as

a combined economic-development and historic-

preservation program for commercial districts.

Over 1,600 communities have put it into practice,

including 28 in Louisiana. (See Chapter 5.)

G. Continue to invest in programs and activities

to promote heritage and cultural activities.

Amenity-rich environments, including strong historic

and cultural assets, are key to attracting new residentsand visitors to downtown. Shreveport is the region’s

cultural center, and downtown stakeholders must work

to build upon existing assets and programs and draw

more workers, residents and visitors to truly realize

downtown’s cultural potential. (For more information

about the recommended actions below, see Chapter 5.)

Actions

1. Inventory, improve and expand existing

interpretative signage on historic resources

throughout downtown.

2. Create self-guided walking tour maps and

digital tours to highlight downtown’s historic

and cultural amenities.

3. Amend downtown zoning to specifically allow

artists’ studios and live-work situations.

4. Attract artists’ studios, galleries and residences

by providing incentives for low-cost renovations

for raw space.

5. Create marketing materials and initiatives to

market downtown residences specifically to

artists—both locally and nationally.

6. Invest in a cultural arts identity branding

campaign for downtown, including promotional

materials for different market segments:

families, locals, tourists, potential future

residents, businesses, and so on.

7. Repair and maintain downtown riverfrontarts venues and resolve lighting issues on the

bridge.

8. Market the state-designated cultural district to

increase awareness of its benefits.

9. Seek grant funding, corporate sponsorships,

and donations from foundations for new cultural

events, such as new film and music festivals.

H. Create new park and open spaces throughoutthe downtown planning area.

Actions

1. Identify publicly-owned land that could serve as

park space within each downtown subdistrict.

Parks are valuable amenities in dense, urban

environments. Shreveport’s downtown core

lacks public park spaces. As new and enhanced

residential neighborhoods develop within the

downtown planning area, a connected series of

park spaces, with playgrounds and programmed

activities such as concerts or community fairs,

will be crucial to attracting new residents

seeking a walkable, active, urban lifestyle. As

downtown revitalization takes shape over the

next twenty years, it is essential that public

access to remaining waterfront areas be

provided in all redevelopment initiatives.

2. Use broad-based design competitions to create

distinctive and unique downtown parks that

would serve collectively as an attraction for

residents and visitors.

In order to make the investment in parks

worthwhile, it is important that designs include

unique elements that can make them special

attractions in their own right, not simply a green

space. Themes related to Shreveport’s history

and landscape, parks that help demonstrate

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environmental processes, such as water cycles,

or a park with interactive sculptural elements

could be among the possibilities. The Van Alen

Institute (www.vanalen.org) is a major sponsorof design competitions for the public realm

throughout the country and can be contacted

for information and possible assistance in

organizing, funding and running a competition.

3. Make Texas Avenue into an events corridor for

special activities.

Texas Avenue, from downtown to Levy Street,

has special character, even in its mostly

dilapidated state. With limited investment, it

could become an events corridor, with weekly ormonthly car-free Sundays for biking, walking,

roller blading and events such as street fairs

and markets, and heritage activities such as

podcasts with music that tell the history of the

buildings along the street.

I. Create a public-safety program and marketing

campaign for downtown.

Many Shreveporters retain an outdated image of

downtown as a high-crime area. A public-safety

program is needed to publicize the low-crime reality

and to create an environment that sends a message

that downtown is safe and well-policed.

An active, publicly accessible waterfront

with recreational amenities and

residential/mixed-use development.

Goal 2

Policies:

• Focus public efforts on creating a publicly

accessible waterfront along Cross Bayou.

• Support zoning and land use policies that

encourage quality development of vacant parcels

along the waterfront.

STRATEGIES

A. Create a Cross Bayou Vision Plan and

Development Framework for a new residential

and mixed-use neighborhood along Cross

Bayou, put regulations and other pre-

development requirements in place, and issue

an RFP with specific criteria based on the

established vision for the area.

There is broad consensus that Cross Bayou offers

an opportunity to create a new residentially focused,

mixed-use neighborhood that provides public access

to the waterfront. To attract a quality developer to the

project, and achieve desired outcomes, the City andDDA need to prepare the way.

Actions

1. Create an organized program to advance

development of the Cross Bayou district into an

exciting downtown waterfront district.

• Establish a vision and development framework

for the Cross Bayou area.

• Reach consensus on a set of development

principles and project objectives.

• Identify and/or create an implementing

organization for the public/private development

of Cross Bayou.

• Test development feasibility and identify

the initiatives necessary to make private

investment feasible. These may include

city commitment and action to remediate

brownfields issues. Prepare an implementation

schedule that responds to the feasibility issues.

• Put appropriate zoning in place.

• Reach consensus on the development

incentives committed to the project.

• Secure key gateway parcels (those near

McNeil or Market streets) to ensure compatible

development.

• Draft a Developer Request for Proposals that

details the vision, development principles,

project objectives, the anticipated role of the

public and private sectors and the incentives/

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resources available to the selected developer.

• Select a development partner and negotiate a

development agreement.

It is imperative that initial mixed-use

developments on key “gateway” parcels be

well executed, with quality design standards,

and appropriate marketing to urban-inclined

households in order to demonstrate market

demand within the area. Should the initial project

be unsuccessful, additional development will be

unlikely to follow.

B. Create a publicly accessible waterfront alongCross Bayou.

Development along the Red River cut off public access

to half of the downtown waterfront. As Cross Bayou

develops, it is essential that the public have access to

this valuable natural amenity.

Actions

1. Ensure that a publicly accessible waterfront

is included in the desired vision for the Cross

Bayou area.

Funds from the “Riverfront Park Extension”

general obligation bond may be available now to

support planning and design for public waterfront

access and recreation within the Cross Bayou

Vision plan. Elements to be considered include:

• A multi-use path from the Red River to

the historic MacNeil pump station and

identification of additional areas for a larger

active-use park along Cross Bayou, connected

to the waterfront multi-use path.

• Incorporation of the historic truss bridge as a

pedestrian amenity.

• Connections with existing green networks, such

as the Red River Bike multi-use trail.

Enhanced connections within downtown

and improved downtown connections toother parts of the city and region.

Goal 3

Policies:

• Support initiatives and investments that improve

pedestrian, transit, parking and automobile

circulation and conditions throughout downtown.

STRATEGIES

A. Prepare a Downtown Mobility Plan to improve

access and better connect downtown anchors

and subdistricts.

Actions

1. Improve the pedestrian and bicycle environment

throughout downtown.

Walkability is the hallmark of successful

downtowns. Downtown Shreveport must

provide comfortable, attractive and interesting

pedestrian conditions and connections within

all districts and between all districts. Currently,

the downtown core has good streetscapes, but

ground-floor storefronts are often uninviting,

vacant, or boarded up. In other areas, pedestrian

connections are poor, including those connecting

riverfront attractions, such as the casinos and

Sci-Port, to cultural attractions in the West

Edge. These poor connections create a greater

psychological distance, despite a relatively short

geographic distance. Enhanced bicycle access

can also contribute to livelier streets, as well as

providing more incentives for downtown workers

to commute by bicycle.

2. Continue strategic investment in pedestrian-

friendly streetscapes throughout the downtown/

waterfront planning area.

Streetscape investments should be planned,

scheduled and implemented as part of the

strategic targeting of specific areas and

connections.

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3. Apply “complete streets” design to all roadway

improvements to provide for safe and attractive

travel by all modes, as appropriate to the type

of street.“Complete streets” provide for safe travel by all

modes—pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and auto—

and should be the standard for all road or street

improvements unless the type of street cannot

support them (e.g., freeways). (See Chapter 8.)

4. Determine the value of converting one-way

street pairs into two-way streets, where feasible.

The one-way street pairs in downtown are

confusing to visitors (especially given limited

signage to destinations) and encouragemotorists to speed through downtown. Two-way

streets enhance connections, provide better

access to businesses and residences, slow

traffic, and provide more visibility to storefronts

and activity centers. Although it is sometimes

argued that one-way streets are safer for

pedestrians, this is generally not the case for

multi-lane streets. Downtown intersections in

the CBC and the West Edge have pedestrian-

crossing signals, which provide safe crossing

conditions.

5. Seek funding to cover operating expenses to

run a downtown circulator trolley to connect

existing and future amenities as more residents

move into downtown and more attractions bring

additional visitors.

Initial operation of a trolley circulator could

include weekend, night or special event service

to and from key downtown destinations—for

example, linking the casinos and Sci-Port to the

West Edge’s ArtSpace, Robinson Film Center and

Strand Theater. Service could increase as more

residents move to the downtown core.

City-owned trolleys for downtown were recently

sold after sitting in storage for several years due

to lack of funding to operate them. Initial service

could be provided through rental of a van that is

branded as the Downtown Circulator. New trolleys

could be purchased when funding is available,

including from such potential sources as parking

revenues, modest fees, or grants.

6. Create a parking management district.

There are numerous privately owned parking

lots throughout downtown Shreveport, many of

which are inefficiently used during the day and

empty in the evening. A parking management

district, overseen by the DDA, would manage all

parking within the district by facilitating shared-

parking arrangements, providing parking

for downtown’s numerous cultural offerings,

particularly in the West Edge and Riverfront

subdistricts. Designated evening parking areas with attendants would also improve perceptions

of safety.

B. Improve connections from downtown to

surrounding neighborhoods.

Currently, connections between downtown and

surrounding neighborhoods are fragmented,

unattractive, or unsafe for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Actions

1. Use various methods such as dedicated bike

lanes, multi-use paths, crossing improvements

and wayfinding signage to improve connectivity

within downtown and between downtown and

surrounding neighborhoods.

• Study the feasibility of creating a multi-use

path and green space between the Spring and

Market Street viaducts with bridges over train

tracks.

• Study the potential for additional bicyclecorridors (Texas Avenue, Marshall Street

and Common/Line Avenue) to better connect

downtown to surrounding neighborhoods.

• Extend the multi-use path along the Red River

to points north, using the historic truss bridge

as a pedestrian/bicycle connector.

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C. Identify funding strategies for streetscape and

infrastructure improvements in downtown.

Actions

1. Explore the creation of a second or enlarged

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district to support

continued streetscape and key infrastructure

projects throughout the downtown core and

identify the boundaries of an expanded or new

district.

Currently, a TIF district serves areas along the

Red River east of Market Street. An enlarged or

new TIF district can provide revenue to reimburse

public infrastructure investments needed to spur

revitalization in much of the downtown study

area. Public investment in streetscapes andinfrastructure helps to attract private investment

by giving private developers confidence that the

city is providing an environment that supports

investment. Taxes on the incremental value of the

improved properties then go back to the city to

pay for the cost of the initial improvements.

ACtION RESPONSIbLE PARty

Enact a demolition-delay ordinance for core downtown areas DDA; MPC;City Council

Create a Downtown Revitalization Working Group DDA, government andstakeholder representatives

Revise the regulatory environment (zoning and building code) to promoteredevelopment and revitalization

DDA; MPC;City Council

Prepare a Vision Plan and Development Framework for Cross Bayou DDA

G. Gettng started

Early actions that are not costly will provide a foundation for more ambitious activities.

Documents

Ch10_101221-LO